Testing Low Voltage Ride Through capabilities of solar inverters

• Published in: Electric power systems research 2013-03, Vol.96, p.111-118
• Main Authors: Carrasco, J. Eloy-Garcia, Tena, J.M., Ugena, D., Alonso-Martinez, J., Santos-Martin, D., Arnaltes, S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Direct current networks; Electric power plants; Electrical engineering. Electrical power engineering; Electrical power engineering; Exact sciences and technology; Low Voltage Ride Through; Non classical power plants; Operation. Load control. Reliability; Photovoltaic power plants; Power electronics, power supplies; Power networks and lines; PV inverter; Test bench; Voltage Sag
• ISSN: 0378-7796; 1873-2046
• DOI: 10.1016/j.epsr.2012.10.011

► A test bench for testing Low Voltage Ride Through of PV inverters was developed. ► A 500kW back to back topology has been used, allowing rated power tests. ► Simple laboratory tests under controlled conditions replace high cost field tests. ► Results for the German BDEW standard on a commercial inverter are presented. The increase in the rated power of PV inverters has brought with it new requirements, such as Low Voltage Ride Through and reactive power compensation. Field tests in PV plants are too expensive in terms of production losses, and therefore laboratory tests have become a simple, flexible and inexpensive alternative. In this paper, a 500kW test bench for testing solar inverters has been developed. The test bench is based on two inverters connected back-to-back. One of them acts as a controlled voltage source while the other is the inverter under test. The DC link is fed by a diode rectifier which only compensates for the power losses of all the elements in the test bench. With this test bench, Low Voltage Ride Through performance of a 500kW solar inverter can be completely tested at full load. The results presented meet the requirements of the German BDEW standard.